


Confessions

by chubbyhawke



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, One-Shot, These guys are goofs, i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 16:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10767963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chubbyhawke/pseuds/chubbyhawke
Summary: Aloth decides it's finally time that he tells the Watcher the truth.





	Confessions

The Watcher's bedroom door. He'd seen it before, it was just like the door to his own room and the door to everyone else's. Nothing about it marked The Watcher as some one superior to them, as their leader. Saelle would never have it that way, he refused to call himself the leader of anything at all: stating that he was their friend, no higher or lower than them.

Yet, as Aloth stood before the door, he'd never been so intimidated in his life.

_"Jus' bloody knock already," Iselmyr nagged him. "Not like he's gonna bite 'ye. Less a'course that's what'cha wantin' him to do-"_

_"Quiet. Now."_

Taking one deep breath, Aloth braced himself for the inevitable. Almost as soon as he'd knocked, that warm friendly face had opened the door to greet him. The wood elf had doffed his normal traveling armor: now wearing some simple cotton clothing, his feet absent of shoes. His fiery red curls were as untamed as ever, and as sickeningly charming as the freckles on his cheeks.

"Saelle," the mage cleared his throat. "Might I have a word with you? If it isn't an inconvenience..."

"You could never inconvenience me, Aloth," the ranger smiled. "Come on in, sit down. Sorry about the mess, Nerva likes to do some decorating of her own." He gestures to the sleeping boar on a small pillow at the end of the bed.

Normally, Aloth would assure him that it was not a problem but he was too nervous to utter another pleasantry. He took a seat in a small wooden chair off to one corner of the room that sat in front of a table beside a book case. Saelle slowly took a seat in the chair across from him, stretching as though Aloth had just roused him from a comfortable nap.

"What's on your mind, Aloth?" he asks, propping his elbows on the table. "You've seemed kinda troubled lately. So, I'm glad you wanted to talk to me."

"Ah, yes," he found himself stumbling over his own words all of a sudden, blood rushing to his ears. What was he supposed to say? How would he say it without sounding like a buffoon?

"Ye _r fuckin' joking me, right? Let the lass handle it, you've got no charm in ya laddy. Sit on a' back now, see how I can get 'im out of his britches."_

_"No, absolutely not. I can handle my own personal issues without your input."_

Saelle waved his hand in front of the other elf's face, snatching Aloth out of his own head. His smile was still warm, but his gaze was pooled with concern. "You looked like me there for a second," he said with a dry laugh. "Is it Iselmyr?"

Aloth only grew redder. "Y-yes, I'm surprised she's allowing me to speak."

" _Yer hardly even talkin' at all!"_

_"Be patient and let me do this, please."_

"So, speak then," Saelle prodded. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Right, that," he swallowed, gaze falling to his hands as he mindlessly tugged at his gloves. "Listen, Saelle, I have come to feel very..." he pauses, nearly choking on his own tongue. "attracted, to you. I thought you may wish to hear it from me, rather than from Iselmyr when she chooses to... ruffle my feathers, as she is... known to do."

Saelle's expression grew blank, he stared at Aloth with eyes slightly wider, and jaw slackened. "I-... What... what do you mean?" now he seemed to be the one tripping over his words.

"What else should I mean?" Aloth questioned. "I find myself wanting to control most everything in my life and yet, I cannot contain this. As hard as I try, my efforts are fruitless. Never am I any less affected by your smile. Never am I any less humbled by your acts of random, seemingly pointless kindness. You are..."

 _"A dreamy pair of arms, laddy_."

Blushing at his past life's voice in his mind, he cleared his throat again and continued as best as he could. "You are... You have become... my.... my one weakness, besides Iselmyr of course. An element of my being, that I cannot control. And, yes, it does trouble me a great deal, Saelle."

Saelle remained silence for several moments, his eyes searching the Aedyran's face. "So... you... like me?"

Aloth sighed. "Yes, if that is how you wish to put it, then yes. I do."

The ranger's face immediately turned a new shade of rosey pink, which some how made his freckles even darker. "Aloth, I've never really been in this kind of situation before but," he swallowed audibly. "I... feel the same way, about you I mean. Like, ever since we took up this place and you started to come in and check on me when I had really bad nightmares. I... Nerva and I, used to always travel around alone before this. Taking up odd jobs and looking for a good adventure to get ourselves into. Like I said, because of that I've never really been in this situation before. I didn't really know what to do, but... now that you say you like me..."

"Well, it makes me even more confused than I was before, to be honest with you," he let out an awkward laugh, honey brown gaze falling toward the floor.

Aloth could feel his heart beating in his ears now, could he be hearing right? Saelle... felt the same way about him?

"So," Aloth started before Iselmyr could get the chance to speak. "where are we meant to go from here?"

They both fell silent again, Aloth stairing at his hands and Saelle staring at the floor. The mage had begun to think of different ways that he could end his own life this very moment while making as little mess possible on the floor.

"Well," the Watcher's deep voice pulled Aloth from his thoughts, hazel eyes meeting Saelle's. The ranger leaned forward, reaching across the table to clasp Aloth's shoulder in one hand, and his cheek in the other. In one effortless motion, their lips smashed together into one whole. Aloth found himself suddenly lost in the touch of the other elf, overwhelmed by the taste of him; like freshly turned earth and the lilac flowers that he always kept in his pack. Helps him with his night terrors, he'd say.

As quickly as the moment began, however, it came to an end. Saelle wore a familiar goofy smirk on his face as he pulled away, his freckles seeming to make his eyes shine as though they were specks of glitter on his cheeks. "We can start there," he said. "If you both are alright with that."

"Both?" Aloth was caught off guard for a moment but came to himself very quickly. He and Iselmyr. Of course.

" _Cares about both of us, does he? Well, color me a new shade of rosemary~"_

"I-... I mean, I like you, but I like both of you," the ranger stammered. "Iselmyr is my friend as much as you are, so if you both share a body and we start becoming... like... more than friends..."

Aloth nodded, he understood.

" _Oh, he's alright, laddy. Awful sweet, askin' for me blessin' and all."_

_"He is not asking for your blessing."_

"She's alright with it," he finally said. "She probably thinks that it's about time, as well."

Saelle laughed. "Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he chuckled. "So, does that mean you want to give this- what ever it is- a go?"

"Yes," he spoke before Saelle had even finished the sentence. "I... very much so."

"Alright," Saelle's smile only grew brighter. "Would it be... out of line for me to kiss you again?"

"No."

"Is that Aloth or Iselmyr?" the ranger teased.

The mage returns the smile. "Aloth."

"That's what I was hoping." And, just like that, Aloth found himself once again overwhelmed by the Watcher, and yet: this was how he wished to stay. Save the world or no, as long as he had this, he could feel at peace.


End file.
